Narkû Mat - the Undying
Narkû-Mat - the Immortal Name: Narkû-Mat Title: Kûaz-Goth, The Immortal Origin: Urd Domain: time, Life, power transfer, artifacts, protection, permanence, recovery magic spells: divinations, artifact spells, time-specific magic spells, magic-lifting / reflective spells The immortal has survived where others have fallen. It is said that he is the eldest of the Ringwraiths and the last one who succumbed to the corrupting influences of the ring of power. It was only when he realized that despite the power the ring promised him, that the day would come for him to die, that he bowed to Sauron and swore eternal fidelity far beyond death. Sauron invoked this oath of eternal faithfulness and gave the king immortality associated with eternal torment and endless pain because he dared to oppose him for so long. This does not mean, however, that the heart of the immortal would be less black than that of the other Nazgûl. On the contrary, his prolonged resistance to Sauron's influence only made him fall deeper into the darkness, turning him into a selfish, nasty creature whose sole purpose is to outlast all other beings. Therefore, the Immortal has devoted himself to a true obsession to mastering evil magic and learned to deprive other beings of life energy and magic and to protect himself with the surrounding mystical energy. The faith = Reasons for an Uruk’s belief in this Nazgûl Nârku-Mat is the one who defeated death. He offers the Uruku the chance to do the same. Many of the Uruku, who would soon be dead, turn to the Nârku-Mat cult to avoid death. The cult and its master know thousands of ways to cheat death. Hundreds of Uruks have given their soul to the Immortal to continue living. Hundreds of Uruku learn his methods of restoration, strengthening, protection, and permanence to possess the power to banish or defeat death. Nârku-Mat is called by the Uruku when they are most desperate. He is the one who can provide protection and healing. A talisman from the cult of Nârku-Mat has already saved the lives of many Uruk and is worth more than a bare gold coin. '''''Distinctive features of believers''''' Many of the cult's followers were brought to the brink of death and were rescued by members of the cult. Most of the doctors and healers are followers of Nârku-Mat to get the secrets of his craft and finally defeat death. Many of the cult followers were close to death, which is why they enjoy life to the fullest. They are whoring, drinking, eating and taking drugs as much as they can because they know how fast life can end. Many of the Uruku carry talismans, fortune charms, and artifacts that they use to protect themselves from death. '''''The Uruk and his faith, and what he does for it''''' Many of the Uruku, who join the cult, do that because they have no other alternative. Because usually, the cure is only lasting, if there is a regular supply of appropriate potions or appropriate magic. So they are tied to the cult and to its mercy. Other Uruku exchanges their souls to live a few more years. These will be sucked out when the time comes as voluntary victims by members of the cult, and all their remaining years will be sacrificed to the cult. Those who are not yet bound to the cult with body and soul serve it for sheer self-interest. The cult presents many raw materials, to which an Uruk does not come easily. The only thing the cult demands are the research and insights they gain. The cult just has to wait, because at some point there is time for every Uruk to turn to the cult or to die. Bos ‘Narkû-mat - the Cult of the Immortal '''''Structure of the cult''''' It is not clear whether and where a center of the cult exists, nor is it possible to give reliable information about the number of disciples of the immortal. This is mainly due to the fact that the high-cultists of the cult show themselves in rare exceptional cases in public. Rumor has it that their age has already reached such an advanced stage that any effort can overburden them. This is contradicted, however, by reports of clandestine gatherings of the cultists on remote, uninitiated, hidden places in the Shadow Mountains, where they celebrate nefarious masses in honor of the Dur Hont and perform sinister, secret rites to prolong their lifetime. The quest for that immortality that was already part of their master's life, which depends on the mercy of the Shakhbûrz, apart from the burden and infirmity of old age, is the most important and supreme principle of their existence. The long way for them begins with abandon, abstinence, and self-flagellation, which are meant to strengthen the body and cleanse the mind. The first Hîsht-Dûmp of their training, they spend as hermits in the lonely cave cliffs of the Shadow Mountains, where they study the teachings of the eye almost to become a faithful servant. Only once in the month, they receive a visit from their teacher, under whose guidance they inflict wounds on themselves. It`s strictly forbidden to heal these injuries themselves, instead, their job is to stand idly by their recovery. This method serves as an inner retreat and, above all, trains their understanding of the meaning of time. In addition, this method creates a kind of natural selection, because by no means every aspirant survives this kind of mental self-flagellation. While there are many rites and practices designed to delay death, the cultists guard these secrets like their eyeballs. Even within the cult, individual members remain jealous of the last mysteries of escaping death. It is only through longtime research and risky self-attempts that a single cultist is able to learn them and thus receive the highest consecration of the cult and become the Kûaz´goth ("Eldest-ones"). It is said that the most powerful of them have the power to transfer the effects of their aging on other living things or even things. Some should be nourished by the suffering and pain inflicted on others or kept alive by their sheer, flaming hatred. Others, like vampires, deprive other creatures of their vitality and use them for themselves. All cultists, on the other hand, should be able to rob and absorb magical powers or banish them into artifacts. Basically, therefore, the training of a cultist of The Immortal is never completed. Many stay regularly with their teachers or organize themselves in loose circles for joint research. However, before a Fauthugal receives his first consecration, which makes him an Îstugal ("knowing one") and thus a full-fledged cultist, he still spends many Hîsht-Dûmpu (the exact number varies greatly depending on the student's illogicality and the nature of the cult) with his teacher. The contents of this doctrine also vary greatly depending on the teacher. In addition to learning the rituals of extending life, they are limited to the following topics: '''History''' Mastering time requires a profound knowledge of the past, and teachers have a wealth of knowledge due to their age. '''Prophecy''' The ability to look into the future and to be able to interpret certain circumstances or things is an art, every cultist masters. The individual practices are very different (from the bone oracles of a wild Dushatâr to the high astronomy of a learned Shatraug), The Falgashud ("oracle") of the cultists is a highly regarded ceremonial, which is celebrated in various places for each Hîsht-dûmp; be it the Dushatâr, who points the future of his tribe, the Piz-Shatraug who foretells to his squad or his officer, or a Kûaz-Goth, who speaks the oracle for Minas Morgul and all Murdur. '''Breeding Programs''' Through their life-long research, cultists of the Immortal is also gifted inbreeding issues. It is said that with the help of the Immortal and his followers, it was even possible to let them Mazauk-hai becomes what they are today. The cultists have become very popular guides when it comes to improving a breed. Many have tried to win them over for crossbreeding, but this is considered a mortal sin in cult circles. After receiving the first ordination, many of the cultists remain in Minas Morgul or go to other religious centers to advance their research and perfect their skills. However, quite a few, including Goth-hai in particular, also hold jobs at the Gund Piztor (often as seers or consultants to officers) or at important institutions in Murdur. In contrast, the Dushatâru of the cult often returns to their tribes, where they are usually considered a sage among the Uruk-lata. As a symbol of their affiliation, many cultists adorn themselves with the bones of those who have not been able to attain the state of eternal life to escape transience. '''Necromancy''' "You must know your enemy to fight him meaningfully" there are scattered factions in the cult, dedicated to the teachings of necromancy. Among them, there are pragmatic Kûaz-Goth, who have reached their old age through the deprivation of life energy, and thus lifetime, of their victims. After the ritual, the miserable and desperate creatures are led to a life and eternal existence without worries. However, they are then hidden in secret caves as reserves in the south of Murdur as will-less undead, such as Skeletons, ghouls, zombies, etc., kept. These should then serve the cult as a kind of joker when it comes to final wars before Fitgnau. There are no detailed descriptions of specialized professions inside the Cult of Narkû-Mat. =